Cables are typically attached to electronic equipment such as RRUs and antennas via mating connectors, one of which terminates the cable, and the other of which is mounted on the electronic equipment. The interface between the connectors can be vulnerable to precipitation and other environmental conditions. As such, in many instances a protective cover or boot may enclose the interface to protect it. Exemplary boots are discussed in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2015/0136439, filed Apr. 4, 2014, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety.
In the design of a cable assembly it is often required that the separated cables be protected from certain birds, in particular cockatoos, that tend to damage the cables through unwanted pecking. To “bird-proof” the cables, a protective conduit is typically used. The protective conduit is generally greater than 19 mm in diameter to prevent the birds from pecking at and damaging the cables. However, the covers or boots may still be susceptible to damage from birds.